One of the things I appreciated about Medicine’s “Just Walk Away,” which I covered back in September, was how much room the production gave the vocal without sacrificing the percussion and bass that make Drum & Bass work in a club. It’s a balance that can be surprisingly difficult to maintain, particularly when producers start adding heavier synthesizers and more complicated rhythmic programming.
Push those elements too far forward and the vocal can lose its presence, but reduce the energy too much and the record starts moving away from the reasons people want to hear it in a DJ set.
Medicine is back on Vibe Chemistry’s Make Your Era imprint with “Playing With Fire,” a new collaboration alongside Exile and vocalist Emma Banner that takes that same idea into noticeably heavier territory. Released November 13, the single combines Banner’s vocal with rolling percussion, dense bass programming, and synthesizers drawing from the more aggressive side of contemporary Drum & Bass.
The arrangement also incorporates melodic elements associated with liquid DnB, giving the vocal room to remain central while the instrumental concentrates on club-focused energy.
I’ve been following Make Your Era’s releases throughout 2026, and this collaboration is particularly interesting because it brings together three artists with existing connections to the label. Medicine and Emma Banner have already appeared on separate releases, while Exile has developed an ongoing relationship with Vibe Chemistry through his production work and DJ activity. “Playing With Fire” brings those connections together around a vocal-led track designed for a heavier setting.
Emma Banner’s Vocal Remains Central to the Production
The main production consideration here is how the vocal interacts with the bassline. “Playing With Fire” uses substantial low-frequency programming and aggressive synthesizer sounds, with rhythmic fills and short breaks introducing movement around the central groove. Rather than treating the vocal as another rhythmic element, the arrangement gives Banner a clear presence over the instrumental.
That follows the direction I discussed in my earlier feature on Medicine’s “Just Walk Away”. That release concentrated on soulful songwriting with enough rhythmic force to function in a club. “Playing With Fire” pushes further toward the heavier side of Drum & Bass, while maintaining a similar interest in allowing the songwriting to influence the arrangement.
Banner previously appeared on Make Your Era alongside Vast for “Escape From Reality,” establishing her relationship with the label before this collaboration. Her involvement here introduces another recognizable vocal element into a production that draws from several related styles within contemporary DnB.
It’s an approach we’ve also discussed in our coverage of Itro and Elvii’s “Backfire”, another Make Your Era release that places an expressive vocal alongside club-oriented production. The common consideration is how to maintain the character of the singer’s performance when the instrumental is intended for a considerably louder setting.
Exile and Medicine Bring Different Production Backgrounds
Exile arrives at this release following his collaboration with Danny Byrd on “Higher,” released through Byrdhouse in November 2025. That record received radio support from BBC Radio 1, Capital, and MistaJam, introducing his productions to additional listeners beyond his existing underground audience.
He’s also developed his Banished platform while continuing to perform across UK Drum & Bass events, including Equinox Festival, Jungle Cakes, and DNB Collective. His DJ selections span jungle, rollers, and jump-up, and those interests provide some context for the heavier rhythmic direction of “Playing With Fire.”
Medicine brings a related perspective, although his recent productions have concentrated particularly on combining melodic songwriting with bass-focused arrangements. The Ascot producer has received support from K Motionz, Ed Solo, Sub Zero, and Vibe Chemistry, who previously featured his music in a BBC Radio 1 mix.
Make Your Era Continues Developing Its Vocal-Led Releases
Vibe Chemistry’s Make Your Era has spent much of 2026 releasing music from developing Drum & Bass producers, alongside collaborations and projects from artists already established within the scene.
In my coverage of Vibe Chemistry’s Serotonin album, I discussed how the label has accommodated melodic songwriting alongside heavier styles of Drum & Bass. That same relationship is apparent in the selection of artists and musical influences behind “Playing With Fire.”
What interests me most about this single is the continued emphasis on the vocal, particularly given how much heavier Medicine’s production has become since “Just Walk Away.” There’s an identifiable progression between the releases, with Exile introducing additional influence from the more aggressive side of the genre while Banner provides the songwriting and vocal performance.
For a label working with emerging producers, those collaborations also give individual artists opportunities to develop their styles without moving away from the musical ideas that have already connected with listeners.
“Playing With Fire” is out now through Make Your Era, bringing Exile, Medicine, and Emma Banner together for a release that continues the label’s interest in combining vocal songwriting with contemporary Drum & Bass production.
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